Update!

Hi Readers!

It has been a long time since we have made a post and we hope all your adventures through orthodontia have been going smoothly! In the past couple of months we have put together an eBook of all of our Braces 101 posts! 

We have added new and improved pictures, some experiences from our Dad, and brand new material on braces removal, teeth overcrowding, fiberotomy, and frenectomy! We have organized and edited all of our posts in order to make the material clearer and more readable, but nearly all of the information is still available here on our blog.

The new eBook is called Braces 101 for Teens by Teens. If you think someone would benefit by this better organized and compact version of our blog, let them know! The eBook can be read on a computer, on an iPad or iPhone, other eBook readers, and via Kindle! In the next year we may look to publish the eBook in physical book form.

We will be really busy with school over the next year, but we do have some new topics that we may try to add to the blog and eBook. A lot just depends on the time available!

Thank you for all of your support over the years! We hope we have been of assistance on your road to straight teeth!

-Erik and Amanda

Good Luck Readers!

Hello Readers,

We really appreciate all your support for our blog. It has been a good time for us and we really enjoy it.

This year, we have a packed schedule and will not be able to regularly post every week as we have been doing. This doesn't mean we are done forever necessarily. If we have any new updates or experiences we go through, we will make the time to submit a post about it.

We hope our blog helped make things easier for you and given you helpful information regarding braces and orthodontics in general. Thanks again for all your support!

Until next time,

-Amanda and Erik

First Day with HeadGear

Now both of us had head gear over a year and a half ago. We remember feeling excited, anxious and in pain for most of that day. Looking back, it really wasn’t a very big deal, but we know that it is when it’s happening. If your first day is coming up, here are some tips.

1. Be excited! It’s a good thing! It is exciting getting something new, starting a new experience. It will all go well.


2. Take Tylenol before your appointment. That way the pain will not set in immediately. Trust us, it hurts even around 15 minutes after you put them in the first time.

3. Be prepared for some remarks. Even family probably can’t resist making a few metalmouth cracks the first day. Don’t worry though, chances are your parents had head gear when they were little too, ours did!


If you have any questions on the first day and what happens, please leave a comment!

-Amanda and Erik

Facts About Frenectomy 2

Recovery from the Procedure:
After doing some research, it seems the recovery time varies with age. Younger kids who had a frenectomy done healed much faster and with less complications than adults. This might have something to do with the fact that kids are still growing so the frenulum might not be entirely grown in, thus easier to cut. Also it seems that the people who received the procedure via laser had less problems and a shorter recovery time. The average recovery seems to be around 5 days to be fully recovered. Depending on your pain level, the number might be smaller. Similar to when you get your wisdom teeth out, you will receive painkillers after your procedure.


In this links, we found the comments from people who have received the procedure very informational:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-frenectomy.htm

Complications:
There are also complications that can arise from the surgery. In any procedure where there will be an open wound essentially (wisdom teeth removal, fiberotomy) there is risk of infection. Other risks include speech impediments, tooth sensitivity, scar tissue development, and lack of facial control due to lack of strength in the tongue/or cheek muscles. Another thing that should be considered are the risks from anesthesia. It all depends on what kind you get, general or just Novocain. With Novocain the side effects are the usual prolonged numbness. If you choose general anesthesia, side effects such as nausea, bleeding and bruising can occur. It seems encouraged for younger children to get the general anesthesia done because, especially if done with a laser, the patient must stay very still.

One tip we found for the aftercare of your mouth is warm salt water rinse (this doesn’t mean swishing or gurgling because this can aggravate the site). This helps to remove dried blood build up and can reduce swelling along with keeping the area clean.

http://www.dentalfind.com/info/frenectomy


Here is an example of a consent form for the procedure which includes side effects and risks involved.

http://www.southoms.com/consent%20forms/Consent%20for%20Frenectomy%20Surgery.pdf

We hope this gives you more information on this procedure. Please leave a comment if you have any questions and we will do our best to research and answer them!


-Amanda and Erik

Pain in a Frenectomy

Now this is considered a relatively non invasive surgery. Once you receive the stitches, it should take around the same time as wisdom teeth removal to heal up. Similiaryly, you should stay away from hard foods and such. We have found a few links on people’♠ experiences of the pain involved with this procedure.

http://www.identalhub.com/forum_pain-after-one-month-of-frenectomy-1885.aspx


http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/frenectomy.htm

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110610005312AABzbnb


http://www.airmailchemist.com/product_info.php?products_id=2072


Hope these answer some questions you might have if you are going to have this procedure!

-Amanda and Erik

Facts about Frenectomy

*Warning! The pictures and videos linked to in this video are pretty gross so do not view if you have a weak stomach!*


Another procedure that is being implemented is called a frenectomy. Like its brother the fiberotomy procedure, a frenectomy also severs tissue in your mouth called your frenulum. A frenulum is a fold of tissue that either lets parts of your body move or restricts movement. There are 5 different areas of oral frenulum: the tissue connecting your upper lip, connecting your lower lip, connecting your tongue to the base of your mouth, and the two connecting your cheeks to your gums. The most common frenulum being severed in a frenectomy is the one connecting your upper lip to the gum above your front teeth. This is specifically called a labial frenectomy, to get the terms straight (the one removing the frenulum under your tongue is called a lingual frenectomy and is sometimes used to correct speech impediments that developed due to too much tissue around the tongue).

This procedure can be prescribed while you have braces, long after you have braces or before you have braces. The overall cost is around $3,000 as it is also a cosmetic surgery (see fiberotomy) and is not covered by insurance. So one should consider carefully whether to go through with this procedure!

Here are a few links about the specific details of a frenectomy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labial_frenectomy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenectomy

http://nyp.org/health/frenectomy.html


The necessity of a labial frenectomy is that the frenulum attached to your upper lip can sometimes pull the gums away from your front teeth and make it so your front two teeth never close the gap. For this procedure it is generally recommended to wait till you have your permanent canines and permanent incisors (around 11 years old or so). This is to make sure that the gap in your front teeth don’t close naturally since if they did you wouldn’t need the procedure!


Now there are two different methods of snipping those frenulum out there. One method is using a scalpel. The other is using a CO2 laser. In 2006, there was a study comparing the two methods and it found that the laser method, when done correctly had a shorter recovery and less pain for the patient (http://www.joponline.org/doi/abs/10.1902/jop.2006.060043). In both cases it is necessary for your surgeon to put in a few stitches to close up the tear.

Here is a video of the procedure using a laser and it is not for the faint of stomachs. We could not find a video of the procedure using a scalpel but we assume its similar.

We warned you!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q68fuAELcJA&feature=related


Next post we will discuss the pain level, recovery, setbacks, and risks of the frenectomy procedure along with our opinions so look for it next Wednesday!


-Amanda and Erik

Fiberotomy Informational Links 2

After some more web searching, we have found more information on how the Fiberotomy procedure works, as well as many videos of it being done. Hope these help!

Here is a video link, though be warned it is not for the faint of heart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgGFF5lrF3c\

Also, this channel has many good videos. We also recommend reading through the comments on any videos you watch, there might be some good insights.

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Are-Frenectomies,-Fiberotomies,-Gingivoplasties-and-How-They-Relate-to-Orthodontic-Treatment&id=6301223


http://www.enotes.com/topic/Fiberotomy

The fact that there is a very small amount of information available online shows that the procedure is still in its developmental stage. We think that because it is so new, if your orthodontist suggests you get it done, it is our opinion that you hold off until there is more information on the procedure. There is next to no information on the long term effects of this surgery. Neither of us has gotten this done, none of our friends have gotten it done, and neither of our parents got it done. Yet all of us still have straight teeth. This proves the validity of wearing a retainer.

-Erik and Amanda

Wisdom Teeth Amanda: Recovery

For the next 3 days, I was basically fine to move around unlike Erik who has basically bed ridden for a week. My jaw and mouth were still sore but I took my 600mg ibuprofen every six hours so they weren’t very painful. Over all I was pretty much back to normal. I just ate jello (lots of jello), eggs, ice cream, milkshakes. Anything such as milkshakes and smoothies I had to eat with a spoon because you are not supposed to suck and spit until the sockets are healed.

Compared to Erik’s surgery, mine had a very quick recovery period.

-Amanda and Erik

Wisdom Teeth Removal: Amanda Part Two

So the other Tuesday, after not eating before midnight the night before, I went to the orthodontist office dressed in comfortable clothing and got ready for the procedure. I went into the office then took a mix of Versed and Tylenol that is used to calm down the patient before the procedure. The assistant had me sit in the chair for 10 minutes to let it kick in. By the end of the 10 minutes I was a little bit worried because I didn’t feel any different! She led me into the chair that they were going to do the procedure in. I was still pretty with it. But I must have been slowly drifting off because although I vaguely remember the oral surgeon strapping on the tourniquet to give me the I.V. the next thing I know I am on my couch at home!

Almost immediately after waking up (although apparently I had woken up before…I just don’t remember it!), my dad had to clean my mouth because I had drooled blood all over myself. But this was normal. And then after that, the pain set in IMMEDIATELY. It hurt a lot! But I just iced for a while and took some ibuprofen and slept. And that was day one of my procedure!


-Amanda and Erik

Teeth Whitening

Some people try to get whiter smiles by whitening or bleaching their teeth. There are many different types:

Whitening Toothpastes: These are essentially polishers. They are more gritty.


Strips: These you apply to your teeth and leave them on. These basically bleach your teeth because they contain peroxide based solution.

Mouthwashes: These are supposed to whiten your teeth and you take them like mouthwash. Similar to strips they contain peroxide based solution that basically slowly bleaches your teeth!


More info
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/teeth-whitening


But be careful if you decide to whiten your teeth. The peroxide will strip away the enamel on your teeth and remember enamel doesn’t grow back! The safest of these would be the toothpastes but if possible try to find natural ones without peroxide.

-Amanda and Erik